Shattering Dreams
by I Want Things Real Again
Summary: After the escape of Aizen, Soul Society is preparing for war, but Hitsugaya is preparing for his own personal war after the betrayal of a close friend. A certain lieutenant of his is there to help him, though, but in more ways than he thought she would. HITSUMATSU. Set at K for the time being, will soon change.


Shattering Dreams

Chapter 1 – Prologue: All in a days work

The ground felt rough against her skin. Skin that was already cracked and as dry as the ground below her. Not a single drop of moisture on lips that were once plump and alive with colour. She looked up at the harsh sun, cursing it's very existence. It was as if the only purpose it served was to degrade her, boil her, kill her.

_How much longer will I survive?_

Hours had passed. Days. Months, even. Each one bringing nothing knew. She lay in the one place, not moving an inch, just waiting. Waiting for starvation, exhaustion, dehydration... _anything_ to put an end to her pain.

She had given up. Her sleek blonde hair had faded, her fingernails full of dirt scraped form the ground, her skin as white as snow...

_Snow._

The thought of it made her want to cry. Snow. She begged for it. Rain, sleet, anything from the heavens to wake her up, make her feel alive again. But snow, she really wished for. She loved the snow for as long as she could remember. The frozen water flakes that danced from the clouds, the way it landed and stuck to the ground, just waiting on you to come out and embrace it. She had somehow found enough energy to close her eyes.

_If I'm dying here, I may as well die in peace..._

Thinking of snow was the only way she could find peace in this deserted land. Another few hours passed as she imagined herself rolling in the snow.

"Matsumoto?"

_That's... my name..._

"Wake up, Matsumoto."

She opened her eyes, only to be greeted by a shadow. Her eyes had obviously been shut for a long time, as she had to adjust to the sun again. There was a figure standing above her though, blocking part of the sun from her eyes. She didn't get a good look at him though. She soon felt herself being shaken into consciousness.

"Wake up, Matsumoto!" boomed a familiar voice. She let herself lay for a couple of seconds, before finally opening her eyes. Crouching next to her was a very familiar young man. A man called Toshiro Hitsugaya.

"Captain? What are you doing here?" Matsumoto asked the young prodigy.

Hitsugaya just sighed and raised himself to his feet. "You say that as if being in my own office is a crime." He walked behind her, heading for the desk.

Propping herself on one arm, Matsumoto examined her surroundings. The unfinished paperwork was laying on the coffee table in front of her, along with an empty mug. She knew what was coming next. Unfinished paperwork in this room always meant she would be told off. Letting out a bigger sigh than her captain and rubbing her forehead, she began to explain. "Darn, I must of fell asleep while doing the paperwork again. Captain, I-"

"It doesn't matter." Hitsugaya interrupted, brining himself back around to the coffee table. He stopped and stared at the table for a moment. The empty mug is what caught his eye most. He reached over to pick it up and was now heading for the door. "I'm going to make some tea, you want some?"

"Um, sure." Matsumoto replied, shocked at his offer. She watched him leave the room, looking at his shoulders. She couldn't help but note how much more defined they were and how much broader they were. He had matured greatly in the last year. This time last year he was returning from the Human World after the fight against the Fullbringer's. His hair has grown and is now styled to resemble the way he had it during his Academy days, his jaw is much more defined, he's gotten noticeably taller too.

_He's grown up a lot, _Matsumoto thinks to herself.

She flicked the hair back from her face, which got her thinking about herself. "I've changed a lot too" She murmurs out loud to herself. Her hair length is now much shorter, resting just on her shoulders and she is now sporting a Shihakusho with a split down her leg, revealing even more skin than before.

Finally gathering energy to stand up, she stretches her arms above her head and lets out a slow yawn and stretch. At this exact moment, Hitsugaya comes back in the room. Trying his best to avoid staring at her, he simply sets her tea down on the table and make a B-line for his desk.

"Soooooo," Matsumoto yawns, "What's on the agenda for today?"

Hitsugaya raises his eyebrow "What do you think? You're finishing the paperork you didn't finish yesterday."

"Awwwww, but that's so boring! I could be on patrol right now, even that's more fun!"

"Well you should have finished your paperwork yesterday then..."

This became normal for them. Waking up, doing paperwork, doing rounds, having meetings then going back to sleep. Something inside them both was wishing for something, anything, more exciting to happen...

* * *

A/N: I know it's short and boring, it was intended to be, this is only the prologue after all! It's just about the build up, I always say ;D hahaha! Chapters will be much longer, and more exciting later on. Hope you stick around for more! Any criticism is accepted ^^


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